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SHOT. Demonstrators assist an injured Palestinian journalist Yasser Murtaja during clashes with Israeli security forces following a protest near the border with Israel, east of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on April 6, 2018. Photo by Said Khatib/AFP

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories (UPDATED) – Two Palestinians, including a journalist, have died after being shot by Israeli troops during border clashes, the health ministry in Gaza said Saturday, April 7 bringing the total killed in the latest violence to 9.

Thousands of protesters approached the border fence around the Gaza Strip for a second Friday, April 6 in a row, burning tyres and hurling stones at Israeli forces, who responded with tear gas and live ammunition.

In addition to the 9 dead, at least 491 were wounded by Israeli gunfire, the health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza strip said.

Israel estimated the number of protesters at around 20,000, saying they were seeking to breach the border.

Numbers were down from the previous Friday, when tens of thousands approached the border in demonstrations that saw Israeli forces kill 19 Palestinians, making it the bloodiest day in Gaza since a 2014 war.

No Israelis were injured on either day and the latest deaths have sparked fresh calls for an investigation.

Among those killed at Friday's protest was Yasser Murtaja, a photographer with the Gaza-based Ain Media agency, who died from his wounds after being shot, the local health ministry said Saturday.

Murtaja's company confirmed his death, with witnesses saying he was close to the front of the protests in Southern Gaza when he was hit.

An Agence France-Presse photograph taken after he was wounded showed Murtaja wearing a press vest as he received treatment.

The Israeli army declined to comment, saying it was reviewing the incident.

The Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate said 5 other journalists were also shot during the protests, insisting they were wearing clothes clearly identifying them as members of the press.

In a statement, the syndicate said it held Israel "fully accountable for this crime."

The Gaza health ministry also announced Saturday the death of another man, 20-year-old Hamza Abdel Aal, saying he was shot east of Al-Bureij in central Gaza.

The 9 men were expected to be buried Saturday.

'Fence was not crossed'

Weeks of border protests have been called to demand the return of Palestinians to land they were forced from or fled after the founding of Israel 70 years ago.

They come with tensions high as the US gears up to shift its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem after recognizing the disputed city as the capital of the Jewish state.

Protesters on Friday said Gaza's economic woes were also fuelling frustration.

The territory has been under an Israeli blockade for a decade, while Egypt has mostly sealed its borders in recent years as well, leaving the cramped area of two million people largely sealed off.

Ahmad al-Naqaa, 40, said he was bringing his seven children to the protest because "we are living like sardines."

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Welcome to Rappler, a social news network where stories inspire community engagement and digitally fuelled actions for social change. Rappler comes from the root words "rap" (to discuss) + "ripple" (to make waves).